The aftermath of Toba Fushimi
by amber-chick
Summary: What did Katsura and the other Imperialists think when they found Kenshin's swords on the battlefield of Toba Fushimi?


He was hurt. Badly, but that didn't stop him from feeling proud and satisfied of what had been achieved that long and torturous night.

It had been a mere half-an-hour after the battle of Toba Fushimi had ended. The Imperialists had just won the fight against the Shinsengumi but the last half-an-hour had been a blur of helping the injured and finding out who had been killed.

He, as Kogoro Katsura, leader of the Choshu clan of Imperialists, was right in the thick of things. Yet…yet he felt that there was something missing. He didn't know what but knew instinctively that something had happened.

"Shouldn't you have someone to have a look at your injuries, Katsura-sama?" asked Kazuo, one of the Imperialists in the Choshu clan. Kazuo was one of the newer Imperialists, having only joined a few months ago.

Katsura waved a hand and answered, "I'll be fine." Kazuo nodded and then walked over to a friend of his, Akari, who had been injured in the battle.

"Katsura! You need to come here for a minute," yelled Katagai, who was Katsura's second-in-command.

"Cant it wait?" asked Katsura, slightly annoyed.

"No," answered Katagai shortly.

Katsura was surprised, Katagai wasn't normally so short-tempered. _It must really be important for him to come and get me himself_ Katsura thought to himself. "Coming," he said to Katagai, only struggling slightly to get up. _Those Shinsengumi guys really did a number on me. It's a good thing Himura was there or I'd have probably been killed. _

He walked over to Katagai and then followed him out onto the battlefield, which was littered in bodies, of both ally and enemy who had fought to the death for their ideals.

"What do you want to show me, Katagai-san," asked Katsura, his curiosity now piqued as to why he was being led out onto the battle field instead of just getting told what had happened.

"That," said Katagai softly, pointing right into the middle of the battlefield. Katsura looked over and felt his eyes widen as he took in the sight. Right in the middle of the grounds were two swords put into the ground on purpose right next to each other and the material slightly swaying in the wind.

"Whose are they," asked Katsura softly, but a part of him already knew.

"They're Himura-sans," said Katagai.

_So Himura, it looks like you really did decide to leave. But…why leave your swords behind? I suppose the only thing I can do is make sure you're remembered as a hero that helped bring about this new era. _Katsura chuckled inwardly as he remembered the soft-spoken boy that was hardly a man but already forced to kill. He knew that Himura would not have wanted himself to be remembered as a hero but he deserved it.

"I doubt he's been killed. We can still catch up to him," offered Katagai, mistaking Katsura's silence as annoyance.

"No. Leave him alone," ordered Katsura. "We will not try to find him. Take the swords; I'll organize something to fitting to do with them."

Katagai blinked in surprise. Himura was the best swordsman of the Imperialists, the best in all of Kyoto now. Perhaps even in all of Japan. He would be very valuable in setting up the new era but her Katsura was just ignoring the fact that he'd gone. Katsura didn't even seem surprised. Then a thought struck him. _Could it be that Himura was planning this all along? And Katsura let him? _

He walked over and picked up the two swords, looking at them a bit reverently. He knew that nobody except Himura ever touched these swords. These swords, that had saved the lives of many Imperialists and took the lives of hundreds of men. He looked at the sheath and, with surprise, noted the kanji engraved on them. _Heart of Sword_.

_Ken-shin…That must be Himura's first name. _Now Katagai knew he was in the minority, for Himura had always been secretive. He had never told anyone his first name except Katsura and his late wife. Nobody in Kyoto even knew his last name until the traitor, Iuzuka.

Katagai brought the swords to Katsura's tent. He set them down carefully so the _Heart of Sword _kanji faced upwards. He was still confused as to _why _Himura had left without his swords. Himura was to strong and fast to have been forced to leave them behind yet he was to dependant on them to leave them willingly. He remembered once walking in while Himura was sleeping, he had held both of his swords leaning against his shoulder, easily reachable should anything happen.

A few days after this Katsura left a small shrine in Kyoto. He had placed Himura's swords there, in remembrance to the man who helped bring about the Meiji Revolution.

_I promise that I will not let anyone find you _thought Katsura to himself. He was fully aware that there were a few people that wanted Himura to help in the Restoration, but Katsura couldn't let that happen. Not after Tomoe.

_> Flashback > _

_A 15-year-old Kenshin was sitting with his back to the door looking at his recently deceased wife, Tomoe. Katsura entered the room quietly, so as not to disturb the grieving man._

_"She saved my life," said Kenshin, hollowly. _

_"I know. I've found the real traitor. And I've found someone to take care of him. And he will also take care of all the other assassinations from now on," said Katsura._

_"Do you still need me?" asked Kenshin, although he already knew the answer._

_"Yes. The Revolution cannot succeed without you and your skills," answered Katsura._

_"I understand. I will continue to wield my sword for the Revolution. But when it finishes…" said Kenshin_

_"You will throw away your sword?" asked Katsura. _

_"I don't know. But I will not kill. I cannot honour Tomoe if I die as a manslayer," answered Kenshin._

_> End Flashback > _

Katsura knew that Himura was going to leave after Toba Fushimi. He was going to try and honour his wife the only way he could. Katsura fervently wished him luck, thinking of his own sins. Katsura also knew one more thing. He wasn't going to let Katagai, Okubo, Yamagata or anyone else find Kenshin. He would protect, like Tomoe had tried. And like her, he would do it for as long as he was able.

And on the other side of Kyoto Kenshin Himura left the city of the revolution behind him, along with his old life and nickname.

> > > > 

I have to admit I'm not thoroughly pleased with how this turned out. I wanted to do a fic about what Katsura and the other Imperialists might have thought when they found Kenshin's swords in the battle field, but it didn't turn out how I expected it to…Oh well, please let me know what you think!

By the way I haven't seen the OVA's in a while since SOMEONE (cough, my brother, cough) lent them to his friends last year and hasn't gotten them back yet, so forgive me if I have gotten some of the details wrong.

So hope you enjoyed the fic and review and let me know

Amber-chick ;-)


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